DSM Blogswarm: Just so you know

There's been a lot of coverage in the last 24 hours of Blair's repudiation of the Downing Street Memos. In an interview with the AP, Blair says "I am a bit astonished at how this has received such coverage in the U.S. because the fact is after the memo was done we went to the United Nations."

Yeeeeeeeeeah. The only problem with that as a defense against the memos is that, of course, they never deny that another approach to the UN was planned. While stating that"the NSC had no patience with the UN route," the original memo goes on to say, "It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran. We should work up a plan for an ultimatum to Saddam to allow back in the UN weapons inspectors. This would also help with the legal justification for the use of force."

So the fact that Bush and Blair did go back to the UN in no way discredits the memos. The point of the memos is that Bush was planning to go to war with Iraq regardless of need or legality. That's why we need to have an official investigation. Don't let them fool you into forgetting it.